I Been to Georgia on a Fast Train

An outlaw country classic that has been recorded by Waylon Jennings, Emmylou Harris and Tom T. Hall, "I Been to Georgia on a Fast Train" was Billy Joe Shaver's first single release, and it tells the story of his life. The lyrics, "I got all my country learning picking cotton, raising hell, and bailing hay," are about working on his uncle's farm, which he dropped out of high school to do. He later worked at a sawmill where he lost some finger parts in an accident, but he eventually made it as a country songwriter. His songwriting success brought problems of their own, however, and Shaver had some issues with alcohol and drugs. Many years later, after a near-death experience or two, Shaver became a Born Again Christian.